Although hydrocyanation catalyst systems have been employed for a number of years, procedures for making those catalyst systems are not optimally efficient. For example, nickel metal atoms can be combined with phosphorus-containing ligands to generate hydrocyanation catalysts (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,981,722, 7,629,484 and 7,470,805). However, nickel is poorly soluble, and many nickel metal preparations combine poorly with phosphorus-containing ligands. For example, when nickel is agglomerated even lower levels of nickel combine with phosphorus-containing ligands. However, even when nickel starting materials from different commercial sources are processed identically one source can provide nickel metal that optimally combines with phosphorus-containing ligands, while another source does not.
More efficient processes for making such catalysts are desirable are therefore needed, so that greater percentages of nickel preparations can be used in nickel-ligand catalyst and so that less waste is generated during catalyst preparation.